Quebec’s minister responsible for the status of women will be asked next week to revive Canada’s only laboratory equipped to test breast implants.

The leader of a support group for women who have experienced problems with their implants will be accompanied by two scientists for her scheduled meeting on May 31 with Linda Goupil in her Lévis riding office.

Micheline Lambert, founder and president of Info Implants Mammaires, said yesterday that there are other issues she wants to bring up with Linda Goupil who is also the provincial justice minister.

But a priority is re-opening a research centre at Laval University in Quebec City that specialised for more than 15 years in studying all types of breast protheses.

‘’ They poison us with implants, then stop the research, ‘’ she said.

Robert Guidoin, the chemist who headed the research through the university’s lab of experimental surgery, had to close shop because of a lack of financing.

‘’We haven’t been doing research since April 1 because there are no more funds to continue

the studies, ‘’ Guidoin said in telephone interview from his home yersterday. ‘’It was a difficult decision to make, but I can’t steal money to keep going, he said.

Canadian plastic surgeons and pathologists had stopped to seek his expertise until a series of class-action lawsuit settlements were reached between women and implant manufacturers.

In a recent letter to Prime Minister Jean Chréthien, Lambert sought federal aid for Guidoin

research. She has also asked for Chrétien’s support for the withdrawal of saline breast implants from the Canadian market.

Lambert’s Lévis-based organization has teamed with sister group Implant Awareness Society

in British Columbia to demand a total ban on all implant advertising across the country.

Those requests were made to Health and Welfare Canada last month.

Health Canada spokesman Jeffrey Pender acknowledged receipt of the joint letter April 23 and said a response was being formulated.

Women interested in more information about the efforts of the two support groups can contact Info Implants Mammaires by calling (418) 833-8835 or visiting its Web site at http://www.info-implants .com.

Thanks Mike.

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